Three Arrested In Parking Lot Fracas

OCEAN CITY – Three Delaware residents were arrested last weekend and charged with a variety of serious offenses after the car they were in struck another vehicle in the parking lot of a mid-town restaurant, causing a large crowd to gather.

Around 2:20 a.m. last Sunday, OCPD officers responded to Fager’s Island parking lot in response to a reported motor vehicle collision. Upon arrival, police noticed a female driver, later identified as Yolanda M. Cook, 28, of Milton, Del., getting out of the Lincoln Navigator. Restaurant security told police the Lincoln had backed into a parked car on the lot, but Cook had not been driving at the time.

The security guard told police Cook, who was a passenger at the time of the collision, got out of the vehicle and got back behind the wheel. When Cook moved the Navigator forward, she allegedly struck the security guard with the vehicle as he attempted to stand in front of it to keep it from leaving the scene.

As the officer sorted out who did what, a large crowd of bar patrons started to gather around the scene and as many as five security staff members attempted to bring the situation under control. Meanwhile, some of the passengers of the Lincoln were scattering from the scene while others yelled at the security staff.

One of the passengers, identified as Andrew Anthony Long, 22, of Lewes, Del., ran to the open driver’s side rear door and attempted to get something out of the vehicle. Because of how quickly Long ran to the vehicle, the OCPD officer thought he might be going to get a weapon and ran over to pull him out of the vehicle. According to the police report, Long spun around and said “What the [expletive deleted] do you think you’re doing?” Long would not exit the vehicle and continued to grab for something, although the officer still could not see what it was.

Long turned around again and approached the officer in a fighting posture with his fists clenched. The officer told Long to sit down and stay away from the vehicle, but Long refused to listen and continued to scream obscenities at the officer, drawing a large crowd to that part of the scene.

The officer eventually got Long to the ground, but the suspect continued to resist and yell obscenities at the officer and the growing crowd. He was eventually subdued and cuffed and the officers continued with other aspects of the investigation. The officer interviewed the owner of the Lincoln, identified as Joshua A. Wharton, 24, of Lewes, who said he was the front seat passenger at the time of the first collision.

Meanwhile, Cooke walked over to where police were holding Long and continued to yell to him, antagonizing Long more. Police told Cooke to stay away, but she refused to listen and she too was taken into custody. While they were affecting the arrest, the officers noticed the strong odor of alcohol coming from Cooke and noticed she swayed from side to side. She was then placed in a police car for transport.

A search of the Lincoln incident to Cooke’s arrest revealed a partially smoked hand-rolled marijuana cigarette in the interior pocket of the front passenger side door. The joint was found in close proximity to where Wharton was sitting and within immediate reach as he sat in the vehicle. Wharton was then arrested for possession.

When the officer got Cooke to the public safety building for processing, she refused to submit to a breath test. When the dust settled after the wild incident, Long was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest; Cooke was charged with driving while impaired with alcohol, failure to obey a reasonable and lawful order, and negligent driving; and Wharton was charged with possession of controlled dangerous substance-marijuana.

Hit-And-Run Arrest

OCEAN CITY – A Hebron, Md. man was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident and numerous traffic violations after returning the scene of his alleged crime.

Around 11:20 p.m. on Monday, an OCPD officer was dispatched to Coins Pub on 28th Street for a reported hit-and-run accident involving property damage. The investigation revealed a woman outside of the establishment smoking a cigarette observed a white Ford pick-up truck run into a parked green pick-up truck and then leave the scene. The witness went back into the bar and announced what she had seen, prompting the owner of the truck to go out and look at his vehicle, which had a large dent on the passenger side rear fender.

The witness provided a license plate number to police, who were able to learn it was registered to the Tilghman Oil Company. About 50 minutes later, Coins management called police communications and reported the suspect white truck had returned to the scene of the collision and left again heading north on Baltimore Ave.

OCPD responded and stopped the suspect vehicle on Coastal Highway in the area of 58th Street. The driver was identified as Sean Dobbs, 26, of Hebron, Md. Dobbs admitted being at Coins earlier, but when asked if it was possible he hit another vehicle, he said no. When asked what caused the big dent with green paint on his truck, he replied “[expletive deleted]. It left a dent?”

When asked again if he hit the green pick-up at Coins, Dobbs responded that he didn’t think so, but his passenger indicated to police by nodding up and down that Dobbs had hit the truck and left the scene. The officer asked Dobbs to step out of the vehicle to perform some field sobriety tests, which he could not pass. Dobbs was charged with driving while impaired, driving under the influence and numerous other charges related to leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage.

DWI Suspect Kicks Cop

OCEAN CITY – A Street, Md. woman was arrested last weekend and charged with assaulting a police officer after getting pulled over on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

Around 1 a.m. last Sunday, an OCPD officer on routine patrol observed a vehicle speeding on Coastal Highway and began to follow it. While following the vehicle, driven by Linda Jean Gootee, 54, police observed it drift from lane to lane as it sped down Coastal Highway. The officer observed Gootee slow down and stop at a red traffic signal, but when the light changed to green, Gootee allegedly sped away again and continued to drift between the lanes.

By this time, the officer had turned on his emergency lights and activated several audible bursts of his emergency siren in an attempt to stop the vehicle. Gootee slowed down and appeared to pull over for a stop several times, but each time accelerated and pulled away again.

Finally, the officer called ahead to another patrol car to begin to prepare setting up tire deflation, or stop sticks, in the area of 12th Street.

The vehicle finally pulled over and came to a stop. The officer had Gootee attempt several field sobriety tests, which she failed and a background check revealed her license was revoked. The officer attempted to take Gootee into custody, she screamed obscenities at him and called him names. While the officer tried to put handcuffs on her, Gootee tried to break loose and kicked the officer in the shin.

Gootee was eventually subdued and charged with second-degree assault, driving under the influence and while impaired and numerous traffic violations.

Stiff Sentence For Dealer

SNOW HILL – An Ocean City man caught dealing cocaine during a sting operation in January 2007 was found guilty this week of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to seven years in jail with all but two suspended.

On Jan. 24, 2007, an undercover OCPD narcotics agent contacted suspected dealer Christopher Kansak, 25, of Ocean City, about purchasing an “eight ball” of powder cocaine. Kansak agreed and arranged a date, site and time for the transaction, which was to be held at a downtown business. When the officer arrived, Kansak got into his unmarked car and swapped the cocaine for cash. Kansak was then arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

Disorderly Conviction Yields Jail Time

SNOW HILL – A Parsonsburg woman arrested last May during a disturbance in downtown Ocean City during which she kicked OCPD officers was found guilty recently of resisting arrest and assault and was sentenced to two concurrent 30-day jail terms.

Last May 28, an OCPD officer on patrol near Philadelphia Ave. and Talbot Street attempted to stop a woman later identified as Bobbi N. Cook, 29, of Parsonsburg, for a noise violation. The situation quickly escalated into a disorderly conduct event and the initial officer called for back-up to assist with taking Cook into custody.

When the back-up officers arrived, Cook refused to comply with their requests and began kicking the officers. She was finally subdued with pepper spray and transported to police headquarters for processing. In Circuit Court this month, Cook was found guilty of resisting arrest and second-degree assault and sentenced to two terms of 30 days in jail, which she is serving concurrently.

Phony Tags Led To Drug Bust

SNOW HILL – An Ocean City man arrested last May after police found drugs in his apartment while looking for his driver’s license was found guilty of possession last week and was sentenced to 60 days in jail, all of which was suspended in favor of probation and fines.

On May 30, an OCPD officer working the downtown area noticed a parked passenger car with Delaware tags designated for trucks only. The officer ran the plate on the vacant vehicle and learned the tags were registered to a pick-up truck. The officer kept an eye on the illegally tagged vehicle and later saw its owner exiting it. When the officer questioned the driver, later identified as Samuel E. Knox, 25, of Ocean City, about the tags, Knox said he was in the process of getting the vehicle registered.

The officer then asked Knox for his valid driver’s license and Knox told him it was upstairs in his apartment. The officer accompanied Knox upstairs to get the license when Knox told him he didn’t have a valid license. Knox was then arrested, and during the subsequent search of his person, a small amount of marijuana was found in his wallet and possession charges were tacked on. Knox told the officer he had forgotten the pot was in his wallet.

Last week in Circuit Court, Knox was found guilty of possession and was sentenced to 60 days in jail, all of which was suspended. Knox was then placed on probation for two years and required to submit to random drug testing. He was also fined $670.

Double-Dipper Sentenced

SNOW HILL- An Ocean City woman arrested last year for stealing cosmetics and other goods from the CVS store on 120th Street on two separate occasions pleaded guilty last week in Circuit Court to theft under $500 and was placed on probation for two years and forced to pay over $1,110 in restitution to the store.

Last Aug. 3, OCPD officers responded to a reported shoplifter in custody at the CVS store on 120th Street. When they arrived, the officers met with store officials who had caught a woman, later identified as Deborah Hoover, 52, of Brookhaven, Pa., stealing cosmetics. Hoover admitted stealing $372 worth of Burt’s Bees products from the store and was charged with misdemeanor theft. She was later released after being issued a criminal citation.

Last April 11, OCPD officers investigated a similar theft from the same CVS during which a woman resembling Hoover had stolen over $1,045 worth of cosmetics. In that case, when the management of the store reviewed surveillance tapes and observed a person matching Hoover’s description enter the store, take a shopping cart and head directly to the cosmetics aisle, where she put items into the cart before transferring them to a large handbag.

The suspect was never caught and the investigation continued until the August incident when resort police were able to put the two cases together. When OCPD Cpl. Lesa Breneman reviewed the surveillance tapes from the April 11 theft, she immediately recognized Hoover, who was arrested for shoplifting at the store in August, as the same person.

Domestic Situation Ends In Drug Bust

BISHOPVILLE – A domestic dispute between a father and daughter in Bishopville last Sunday turned violent and led to the arrest of the girl on drug charges.

Around 2:30 p.m. last Sunday, Maryland State Police troopers from the Berlin barrack responded to a residence in Bishopville after a 911 hang-up. Upon arrival, the troopers learned James DeLapp and his 18-year-old daughter Hallie DeLapp were involved in a domestic dispute that turned into a physical altercation.

The investigation revealed Hallie DeLapp had hit her father in the face with a glass, causing bruising and swelling under his eye. Hallie DeLapp told police during a verbal argument, she attempted to leave the residence but her father would not let her leave. She also said her father grabbed her by the neck and choked her to the point she almost fell unconscious before her mother separated James DeLapp’s grasp.

During the investigation, troopers found a metal smoking device with trace amounts of marijuana residue in the girl’s bedroom where the altercation began. Hallie DeLapp was then arrested and a search incident to the arrest revealed suspected Dilaudid, a painkiller commonly heated to a liquid and injected by syringe. The troopers also found three syringes and cotton balls in the girl’s purse.

Hallie DeLapp was charged with domestic assault and possession of controlled dangerous substance. James DeLapp was not arrested at the time, but police said in a press release more charges are pending in the case.

Inoperable Taillight Leads To Pot Bust

BERLIN – Two Georgetown, Del. residents were arrested on marijuana possession charges after being pulled over for an inoperable taillight in West Ocean City last Saturday.

Around 12:30 a.m. last Saturday, MSP troopers from the Berlin barrack stopped a vehicle on Route 611 at Antique Rd. in West Ocean City for having a taillight out. Upon making contact with the driver, identified as Kerri Sharpless, 33, of Georgetown, the trooper noticed the strong odor of burnt marijuana. A probable cause search revealed a silver smoking device containing marijuana on the passenger, identified as Kenneth Sharpless, 27, also of Georgetown, and a hand-rolled cigarette containing marijuana in the center ashtray.

Kerri and Kenneth Sharpless were both arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and paraphernalia. They were taken before a court commissioner and later released on their own recognizance.

Worcester Man Arrested For Salisbury Robberies

SALISBURY – A Worcester County man was arrested this week and charged with robbery and theft after being connected to a spree of convenience store hold-ups in Salisbury.

Around 2:20 p.m. on Sunday, Salisbury Police responded to the Dollar General Store on Nanticoke Rd. for a reported robbery. Upon arrival, officers met with store employees who provided a description of the suspect and the vehicle he was driving. The employees told police a man, later identified as Craig William Pennington, 32, of Bishopville, had taken a cash register drawer full of money and fled the scene.

A look-out call for the suspected vehicle was broadcast to all units, and the vehicle was stopped a short time later. Pennington was driving and was identified as the suspect from the Dollar General robbery. The cash drawer and the money were recovered, but know weapons were found.

Through the investigation, Pennington was identified as the suspect involved in two similar convenience store robberies in the Salisbury area earlier in the day including a strong-arm robbery at the WaWa on North Salisbury Blvd. around 4:30 a.m. that morning and an attempted hold-up at the Shore Stop on Mt. Hermon Rd. around 7:30 a.m. that morning.

Pennington was arrested and charged with robbery, second-degree assault and theft for the Dollar General and WaWa incidents. He was also charged with robbery, second-degree assault and malicious destruction of property for the incident at the Shore Stop.

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